Those to Come
by sneakyglance
Summary: Don't you understand that I can't talk to you? Because it hurts. Talking to you really hurts. Standing here right now is killing me, okay? Don't you understand that?" Tears burned Olivia’s skin... CH5 UP!
1. Chapter 1

I swear I am working on Both Hands! But this popped into my head and I wanted to get it out into the universe before it ate my brain.

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Elliot stared at the number glaring at him from the bluish white light that radiated from his phone. "Liv". His finger lightly rested on the "talk" button. He was so tempted. He longed to do it. He sat, staring at her name while a non-descript ring cut through the previously silent air around him. His desire built higher and higher and he had almost given in when suddenly his phone quieted like a scolded child. Unhappy in it's quietness. Elliot sighed at the screens new message for him. "Eight Missed Calls"

Liv. Liv. Liv. Liv. Liv Desk. Liv Desk. Liv. Liv Home. "Four new Voice messages"

His heart slammed against his chest. He found his finger giving into it's greatest desire as it pressed the tiny button bringing him directly to his Voicemail. Earlier he had been unable to listen to what he knew would be the confused, upset and eventually angry messages that his partner had been leaving. Now, in the security of his apartment, he felt ready.

"Hey El. Can you believe this? Call me."

"Elliot, where are you? Call me."

"It's me. You're not actually taking this crap seriously, are you? Call me back."

"Elliot. It's Olivia. Screw you. If you're seriously not going to talk to me then fine. Cragen said you're moving to homicide until all of this bull blows over. I hope you stay there."

Elliot lowered the phone from his ear and buried his head in his hands. He never thought he'd hear Olivia speak to him with such disdain in her voice. He wanted so desperately to talk to her. To make her understand. He detested that he had to trust the A.D.A. to pass on the accurate information. To tell her that it wasn't his decision. That he would be back. That it would just be until the trial ended. Obviously they hadn't. He knew he had to deal with it. He couldn't bear Olivia being this angry with him. He thought about going to Cragen but he knew the A.D.A. would stop him as soon as he hit the door. And he was sure that his phone was being dumped daily. He was not to have any contact with a squad member of SVU until the trial blew over.

It wasn't his fault that he was being called for the defense. He had screwed up and they knew it. They were going to milk it for all it was worth. It was normal lawyer games. He'd played them before. But this time, Langan didn't want his case tainted by the "unprofessional conduct of Stabler and his relationship with his squad." He had been officially ordered to stay away or be held in contempt of court.

The worst part of it was, he had fought with each member of SVU before the case came to trial. When the motion had been put foreword, he had been swiftly removed to the judge's chambers where he was ordered to stay away from Olivia Benson, Odafin Tutuola, John Munch and Donald Cragen until further notice. If he were to disobey the order he would be thrown in a cell for contempt of court. He was trapped. Unfortunately he was stuck with leaving his team at a time where they were shaky in their relationships.

He had yelled at Fin and John and Cragen. And Olivia had been caught in the middle. She tried desperately to smooth over the situation but was pushed aside like a little sister with pigtails to pull. She was to be seen and not heard by the aggravated, testosterone pumped males angrily slamming their fists on tables and arguing on how best to solve the case. It had quickly turned into a power struggle between Elliot and Fin. A dick-measuring fight that no one could control. They had almost reached a breaking point when Grayleck entered the room in a huff and removed Elliot to the court. Olivia was not permitted to attend. Munch and Fin wouldn't have, even if he had been allowed.

Then Elizabeth Donnelly sided with Trevor Langan. And Elliot could not return to resolve the conflicts he had been involved in.

He knew Olivia was livid. He felt like he could feel the heat from the angry vibes she was surely sending his way. She managed to affect him so deeply even when she was nowhere near him. He knew she was probably pacing in her apartment, thinking over the various ways she could punch him without leaving a mark. She was probably wondering what she had done wrong and then cursing his name because she knew she had done nothing. This was not on her but yet at the same time she would still take it like it was.

He finally threw his phone onto his bed and he rushed into his washroom and turned his shower on as hot as it would go. He needed some scorching water contact in order to distract himself. He couldn't think about it anymore. He would deal with it tomorrow.

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3 Weeks Later

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Elliot did not deal with it the next morning. He was quick to catch on that IAB was watching his every move. He had broken the rules too many times before to be trusted by OnePP. He had been quickly shifted into homicide. Olivia had continued to call for the next few days but as the hours wore on, her persistence faded to a point where she no longer attempted to contact him. He had seen her once, a week after the verdict, getting into their car and leaving a scene before he was to arrive. They ruled out the initial rape that the witness had claimed and the case was tossed to Elliot and his new partner Ben.

Elliot rubbed his face roughly before returning his blank stare at the dead body in front of him. His mind didn't even register the sobbing woman standing with Ben. The air around him was dense and intense. The crews surrounding the scene bustled around him, all lost in their own worlds. Elliot stared straight into the bullet hole that screamed at him from the young man's forehead. Elliot's gaze was adrift in the small pool of ruby blood. Suddenly one word touched his ears that cause him to raise his gaze to the woman standing a few feet from the body. It was a word that caught him quickly like a sucker punch. He knew it would leave a mark on the few days to come. "rape". It was whispered into the air like a curse from the underbelly of hell. Elliot stood quickly and headed straight for the woman. His partner rolled his eyes at Elliot.

"We gotta call SVU." Elliot pointed out quickly.

"Yeah, Stabler. I know. And you gotta get out of here."

Elliot glared at the young detective who was quick to challenge Elliot's experience and opinions. The young man didn't like being stuck with a hot head cop who didn't want to be working with him. He was constantly blocking Elliot's attempt at involving SVU in their cases.

"You leave. Now."

"Alright. Just let me finish up here." Elliot walked away from Mike and headed for the ambulance to ask the paramedics to take the victim to St. Matthew's and notified them that she was claiming rape.

All of a sudden a large hand rested on his shoulder. "Hey El. We can't talk for long but Cragen wants to meet you. Here's the address." Fin's voice whispered in his ear and a small piece of paper slipped into his hands.

Elliot frantically searched for something to say and blurted out the first thing he could think of, "I'm sorry- It's not personal."

"I know. She's doesn't. She's hurtin' man... Go see Cragen. I gotta go deal with this victim."

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Elliot recognized the tall body and hairless head standing at the edge of a small pond with ducks swimming and plenty of foliage hiding him from being seen. Elliot steeled himself against what he could sense was coming his way. He felt Cragen was going to shred into him for leaving without saying anything.

"Hey Captain."

"Elliot. I'm glad you came."

"I'm going against an order from the court. But Fin said it was important. What's going on?" Elliot didn't know why he felt the need to state how much of a mess they would be in if caught.

"Olivia is a mess."

Elliot's eyes enlarged in alarm. He swallowed to try and remove the burning sensation in his throat. He knew it must be true. Cragen would not be saying anything otherwise. "What do you mean?"

"She's gotten sloppy. Aggressive. Angry. She never stops working. She's refusing any temporary partners but she's refusing to admit she's waiting for you to return. She's lost touch and can't communicate with the victims. But she's doubled her caseload. It's like she's trying to do it al to prove she doesn't need you when really, she's just proving herself ineffective and explosive. It's as if she replaced you with a more volatile version of you. It's not Olivia. You have to talk to her."

"Are you asking me to risk being in contempt of the courts?"

"I couldn't do that. But if you happened to bump into Olivia when she's heading to her apartment then that wouldn't be so awful..."

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Elliot watched as Olivia walked up the stairs to the front of her apartment building. She stopped for a nanosecond to make sure what she was seeing was actually true. She then shifted her gaze to the keyhole in front of her and let herself in. Elliot immediately stuck his foot in the door after her to slip in. It was clear Olivia was ignoring him until they were out of sight from the street. Elliot knew she wasn't happy to see him when she took a turn for the downstairs, instead of the elevator that would lead to her apartment. She began to descend to where Elliot assumed there was laundry room. They reached the bottom of the stairs and she promptly turned and punched Elliot in the upper body several times. Hard enough that he knew she meant it but not enough for him to do anything about it.

"You sonofabitch. What the hell do you think you're doing here?"

"I had to see you. I was waiting for the heat to wear off."

"Screw that. You didn't even call me. I deserve better than that- especially from you."

"Liv- I had no choice... If I wanted to come back to work I had to stay away from you."

Olivia suddenly became quite silent. She stared at the ground and bit her lip, clearly frustrated.

"Liv, you've got to move on. We can't be around each other."

"I didn't think you'd take it so literally. You didn't even call."

"I wasn't about to risk both our jobs and contact you when IAB was watching my every move."

"So what Elliot? This is all bullshit and you know it. Just because I don't agree with you doesn't mean I'm going to corrupt you."

"I wont disobey a direct order."

"Screw the order Elliot! You should have called."

"Liv-"

"I was a wreck! I needed you! Not as my partner... as my best friend. You knew how deep I was in this case..."

"Olivia..." Elliot's voice cracked with the regret he was feeling as he stared into the pain filled eyes of his partner.

"I couldn't stop thinking about that little girl. And what she must have gone through. And how scared she must have been." Olivia was choking back tears, "And all you could do was argue with Fin. If you want to get into a pissing match leave me out of it."

"He was wrong."

"And that's what's important. Right. He was wrong and you were right. And while you were arguing about it, the little girl died. As if she hadn't suffered enough." Olivia's tears poured down her face, the salt stinging her skin. "She was ten years old for God's sake. And I just can't stop thinking about her-" She was cut off by the connection of Elliot's hands on either side of her face. The electricity between them buzzed as he forced her deep chocolate orbs to stare into his ocean deep blues. The tears that tainted her cheeks soon shifted to Elliot's cheeks as he connected his lips with hers. He kissed her tenderly, unhurriedly, breath sizzling, tongues quivering together. Elliot's hands reached up into her hair and he gently grasped a handful, feeling it between his rough fingers. His other hand pulled her body in closer to his. He moved his hand onto the nape of her neck. Their lips never parting. He softly took her bottom lip between his pearly teeth and caused Olivia to whimper with excitement. They finally separated their mouths and he rested his forehead against hers. He let his thumb wander to her cheek and wipe away a stray tear. They were both acutely aware of the noise that silence brought. The laundry tumbling in the dryer. The buzz of the radiator. The rising and falling of their chests. They couldn't seem to break eye contact. She breathed in his subtle scent of aftershave and sandalwood. The couple didn't move until a lost tear landed on Elliot's hand. They pulled apart slowly ad Olivia let out a deep breath.

"I-" the terrified expression on her face caused Elliot to take a step back from her. His hands hung limply at his side as Olivia moved for the door, only glancing back once before disappearing from his sight.

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What's that? You want to review? Oh, that's so fantastic! Thank you!


	2. Chapter 2

I swear I'm working on Both Hands. But I needed to write a story where there is some happiness going on! So here comes more of Those to Come!

* * *

"Liv! Stop! Please stop!" Elliot followed quickly behind her, accelerating a little to overtake her. "Please stop." He grabbed her wrists and pulled her to a halt. "Stop!"

"What!?" she screamed, struggling to free herself from his grip. "Leave me alone!" She began to thrash out violently at Elliot, futilely flailing her arms around. The couple stood in the hallway of her apartment building. The door to her home was only a few feet away.

"Liv, I'm sorry." Elliot said, bringing her arms into his chest and putting his arms around her, restraining her in a tight embrace. She relented to his mollification and collapsed silently into his arms. "I'm so sorry." He rested his chin on the top of her head as her small body heaved under his arms for a moment and he hugged her tighter. The pair lingered in the comfort of each other for a while longer before Elliot removed his arms from Olivia's body and he brought her gaze to meet his. "Are you okay?"

"I think you should go now…" she whispered. Elliot felt the disappointment in his core. He wanted to stay with her. Be with her. But he knew he had to respect her so he nodded slowly.

"The trial is in three days. I'll be done and come back to the squad. We'll talk then?"

Olivia's eyes were fixed on the floor. Her hair fell into her face so Elliot could not read her expression. Elliot sighed and lifted her chin with his finger. Tears had filled her eyes and she looked frightened. Elliot leaned down and kissed her gently on the forehead. Her eyes closed in elation as his lips connected with her skin. Her body released a deep breath of release and she started to nod.

"Yeah. We'll talk when you get back." She whispered.

* * *

Olivia walked into the squad room and sat at her desk when an envelope landed before her. The cursive writing on the white sheet stated her name. Olivia looked up at Munch in confusion.

"There's a police function tomorrow night." Munch muttered and Olivia frowned.

"Don't tell me we have to go."

"We are expected to be attend and dress up." Fin rumbled, displeased with the situation.

"Why?" Olivia fought back. "I don't want to." She realized that she sounded like a spoiled two-year old and changed her response, "What's it for?"

"We're getting an award. Something about the squads high conviction rate. We are expected to be there, dress up, smile and clap along side the people who constantly set up road blocks for us when we're busting perps."

"The whole squad?" Olivia gestured to the room of people busily participating in the daily work of destroying the terrible criminals that ravaged their beloved city.

"No." Fin shot, "Cragen's "top detectives" are required to be at hand."

"So that means John Munch, Odafin Tutuola, Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler will attend against their better judgment." Munch pointed out.

"They're going to let Elliot come to this thing? The trial isn't until Friday."

"You didn't hear?" Munch asked ominously.

"No." Olivia shook her head, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"

"They moved Elliot's testimony to today. Simply so he can attend tomorrow." Fin answered.

"So he'll be back tomorrow?" Olivia felt her chest tighten. She was unable to decipher if she was feeling dread or excitement.

"I guess so. This dinner must be a big deal." Munch lazily tossed a scrunched paper into the waste bin.

"It is." Cragen entered the squad room and smiled slightly. "We're getting the biggest honor of the year. Special Victims has cracked some of the highest profile cases this year. Even the Major Case Squad is jealous of some of the perps we've busted. OnePP is impressed. So quit whining, take a shower-" Cragen looked pointedly at Munch who rolled his eyes, "Spiff yourselves up-"

Fin looked at Olivia and mouthed, "Spiff?" which made her giggle.

Cragen ignored them and continued with his speech, "And get to the Plaza by 6:00pm tomorrow." Olivia, Munch and Fin all nodded to symbolize the arrangement. "Now, I'd like to welcome back someone we've missed around here."

Olivia's heart jumped into her throat. "I thought Elliot was coming back tomorrow-" she whispered in fear.

Cragen shook his head, "His testimony was this morning. He's done. He's ours again."

Suddenly Elliot appeared from Cragen's office and before the squad. Fin and Munch grinned and clapped Elliot on the back. The past seemed to be forgotten.

"Welcome back man." Fin greeted.

"Good to see you back." Munch affirmed.

"Thanks guys." Elliot's grin was from ear to ear. He then turned his gaze to Olivia. She bit her lip. The feeling that was swelling inside her nearly exploded before she threw herself at him and embraced him.

"I'm so glad you're back." She whispered into his shoulder. She could feel him laughing under her.

"I missed you too Liv."

They separated quickly and smiled at each other. Cragen ignored to obviously emotional embrace and pointed to Elliot's desk.

"Your invitation for tomorrow night is there. You have a tux on hand?" Elliot raised an eyebrow.

"No one told me I had to wear a tux." He frowned.

"It's formal. Would you guys quit complaining? This is an honor! You should be excited!" Cragen shouted before storming off to his office.

Elliot smiled and turned to Olivia, "I see he hasn't laid off the caffeine."

Olivia grinned and shook her head. "Nope. So, you ready to deal with some nasty rapists again?"

Elliot smirked, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

* * *

Olivia stared down to the bottom of her tall glass. Melting red ice circled the bulls eye at the bottom. The thick, pungent smell of rum wafted up and caused her to feel dizzier than she already was.

"Anybody need more?" Casey's voice sounded much further away than it should have. Olivia sloppily lifted her glass above her head.

"Fill 'er up!" She muttered and she felt light drops of liquid hit her wrists as Casey messily poured the paralyzing concoction into Olivia's glass. As soon as Olivia felt her glass fill to the brim, she lowered it to her mouth and drank as if she had been in the Sahara for a year.

"Liv, you should slow down?" Munch's voice of reason tickled Olivia's ear drum, along with the Bob Marley drifting from the large stereo system in Fin's house. Casey had come back into New York for a meeting that day so the team had gathered at Fin's to celebrate Elliot's return and to catch up with Casey. The night started out quiet enough but soon the hard liquor was pulled out and no one bothered to control themselves.

"Why?" Olivia responded.

"Touché." Casey laughed before drinking from the blender before her.

"My drink isn't strong enough…" Olivia blindly searched beside her for the bottle of rum. Munch didn't even have a chance at stopping her. She unscrewed the top quickly and dumped the remainders of the bottle into her glass.

"You have enough rum in there to strip furniture!" Munch cried. Casey laughed while opening another bottle and pouring it into her blender.

Olivia finished her drink and stood slowly, hoping to prove that she wasn't drunk. But as she stood, her mind wandered to Elliot.

"Where are the boys?" She asked while supporting herself with the table.

"Don't answer her." Munch told Casey.

"On the balcony." Casey told Olivia.

Olivia smirked as she started climbing the stairs. She saw Elliot standing on the balcony attached to Fin's bedroom. Fin was headed in the opposite direction but Olivia barely noticed him.

"El?" Olivia whispered. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror on the opposite wall. She wore a white wife beater, a grey cardigan, along with a pair of jean cut-off short shorts. She had lost her shoes early in the night and her hair was loose and straight.

She felt her breath catch when Elliot turned to face her. He wore a gray t-shirt and a black hooded zip-up sweater with jeans. It was simple but it made her heart jump into her throat.

"Hey Liv." Elliot whispered back. Olivia took notice of the empty tequila bottle on the ground and the drained glass in Elliot's hand. Olivia stepped closer to Elliot and she noticed his feet moved towards her. Suddenly the space between them was closed and she had slipped her hands through the front of his sweater to the small of his back. She felt his hands against her skin on her hips and small of her back. Their bodies pressed together as they kissed fervently. Elliot started removing Olivia's cardigan, button by button, while still maintaining contact with her lips and tongue.

"Nuh uh! Not in here! Not in my room!" Fin's voice suddenly broke the moment. Elliot and Olivia turned to see Fin standing at the door of his bedroom.

"The guest room is downstairs! If you're going to get it on, you're going to do it in another bed."

Olivia looked up at Elliot and raised her eyebrow at him. He smirked before lifting her body up against his. She wrapped her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck and began kissing his temples and lips while he carried her from the room.

The couple hurried past Munch, who was holding back Casey's hair as she vomited into a trash bin. They hit the bottom of the stairs and Elliot set Olivia to her feet on the ground.

Olivia could barely contain herself as she removed Elliot's sweater.

"Where is that bedroom?" Olivia whispered. Elliot smiled as he traced his fingers along the waist of Olivia's shorts.

"You wanna…?" His eyes moved to the door down the hallway. Olivia stood on her tiptoes and connected her lips with his bottom one. She gently ran her fingers through his hair.

"What's life without a little drunken sex?"

"A boring life indeed." Olivia placed her hands on his chest and started pushing him towards the door of Fin's guest room. When his back connected with the closed door, he pulled Olivia into him and started kissing her neck. She moaned in pleasure before she turned the doorknob and started lowering herself to the bed. She pulled Elliot down by his shirt and soon his legs were positioned on either side of her hips as he attacked her neck with his lips and teeth and tongue. The shets felt like a velvet carpet to her and Elliot's breath kept her warm. Olivia's fingers connected around Elliot's neck as she begged him to come closer. Suddenly she felt Elliot's body straddling her while he sat up straight and started undoing the button on her shorts. Olivia arched her back against him and was able to feel a pleasing hardness between Elliot's legs with her body.

"Oh God, you're killing me." He whispered as he hooked his thumbs in her belt loops and starting inching her shorts down her hips.

Olivia then suddenly pounced up and flipped Elliot onto his back. She quickly removed his shirt and then started working on the belt of his pants. Her shorts sat low on her hips, reveling the black lacey panties she wore underneath.

Elliot worked on Olivia's shorts while she removed his pants. It only took a moment for their connection to be made complete.

Olivia gasped and Elliot moaned. Their movements were in sync as the air between them became hot and sticky. The pair purred in the ecstasy of finally satisfying the sexual attraction that hung in the air around them 24/7.

In the moment that the pair collapsed in pleasure, their breathing matched and their hearts beat against each other in unison.

It wasn't long until the couple had dressed and fallen asleep next to each other on the bed. It was a warm New York night and with the air blowing through an open window, their combined body heat and the liquor running through their blood, the duo was very warm.

The sunlight had warmed Olivia's eyelids to a point where they would no longer stay shut. As they lifted, she took in her surroundings. She was laying inside someone's house… her house? Fin's house? Fin's. There was a blanket on her. There was a body pressed up against hers. Who? Who? Elliot. Olivia smiled at the memory that came rushing back. She didn't remember much else but she remembered the heat between the two of them. Olivia rolled over and found herself face to face with Elliot. His eyelids were flickering and so she started to kiss them gently. She trailed her kisses from his eyes to his nose and cheeks and then finally down to his lips. Once hers connected with his, Elliot's eyelids opened slightly.

"Now this, I like." He murmured before kissing Olivia. Olivia grinned and looked Elliot in the eye.

"Last night… was… thank you."

Elliot smiled and placed his hand on her face and stroked her cheek with his thumb. He continued to stare with a dopey grin on his face and opened his mouth as if he was going to say something but stopped and just connected his lips with hers again. They continued kissing for a while longer before Olivia separated and pulled away. She raised her body from their bed and groaned. She was tired. And still a bit drunk.

"We should go upstairs. See where everyone else is." She then held her hand out to Elliot and he took it while raising himself from the bed.

The pair stood facing each other and Elliot slipped his arms through hers and placed his hands on her back before pulling her closer to him. He leaned down and kissed her deeply. Olivia nearly dissolved in his arms.

When Elliot had finished kissing her, Olivia grinned. "What was that for?" She asked.

Elliot smiled. "I just can't stop. I like kissing you. I like touching you. I like spending my time with you." Elliot paused to kiss Olivia again, "And I love kissing you."

Olivia smiled, "You already said that…"

Elliot grinned and kissed her again, "I know. But I just wanted an excuse to do it again."

Olivia dropped her hand from his shoulder to his hand and entangled her fingers with his. She squeezed his hand gently and led him into the rest of Fin's house.

* * *

I know I know, but I couldn't resist a little fluff. But this wouldn't be a true E/O without some fluff.

My eyes keep getting caught on this little thing that's at the bottom of the screen.... I think it says review... hmmm, could you check that out for me?


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry for the short-ness... I promise it will be longer next time!!!

* * *

Olivia gasped when she entered the upstairs of the house. Munch was curled up on the couch; Casey was in the kitchen, pounding back some very black coffee. The house was in complete disarray.

"It looks like a tornado came through here!" Olivia cried and Munch moaned.

"Lower the decibel of your voice…" he muttered before rolling over onto his other side.

Olivia laughed and threw a blanket she found on the floor at Munch and he groaned again.

"Where's Fin?" Elliot asked and Casey pointed to the washroom door as she downed some Tylenol with her coffee. She then came up for breathe and raised her eyebrows at Elliot and Olivia.

"You two looked cozy last night." She stated.

Olivia smirked at Elliot and he blushed. "Neither of us were willing to sleep on the floor." Elliot murmured.

"So you passed out together?" Munch asked.

"Yeah… I sat down for a second and then the next thing I know, it's morning." Elliot reinforced the story that the others were creating for him. He turned to Olivia and put on his best serious face.

"I'm headed home. You want me to drop you off?"

Olivia became even more serious in her acting and nodded. "Yeah. Just at my car if you don't mind." She then turned to Casey, "Tell Fin we'll see him tonight. And tell him thanks for a great evening."

Casey nodded, "Of course. Let's do lunch soon."

Olivia smiled, "Yeah. I'll see you later Casey. See you tonight Munch."

"Bye Olivia."

Elliot and Olivia turned back down the stairs and when Elliot reached the bottom he turned to stop Olivia from passing. She stared him in the eye and he smiled. "There's a toll." He stated. She frowned.

"You're not going to get cheesy on me, are you?"

"Just one kiss. I honestly cannot keep my hands off of you."

Olivia grinned. Elliot placed his hands on her hip again and pulled her closer to him. She placed her hands on his shoulders and leaned in slightly to unite her lips with his.

"I- I don't want to ever stop touching you." Elliot whispered and Olivia grinned.

"You're going to have to. I really need you to drop me off at my car." Elliot frowned but nodded.

"Fine. But I'll see you tonight… Take a cab. You can come home with me."

* * *

Olivia wore a beautiful strapless silver chiffon evening gown, topped off with sparkling diamond jewelry. The dress flowed from the top of her breasts down to the floor. Her hair was long and flowing with beach-wind waves. Her skin radiated with a shimmer of subtle silver glitter. Elliot grinned at the sight of her. He had seen her dressed up before, but only as she was headed for a date or undercover. Never for him.

Elliot smiled shyly at her. "You look amazing." He whispered. Olivia bit her glossy lip and smiled.

"Thanks. You don't look half bad yourself." Elliot gazed down at his simple tux with no tie. He grinned and hooked his finger gently with hers.

"You ready to smile until your cheeks hurt?" he asked. Neither of them were looking forward to the fake pleasantries they were about to give and receive with the "high-ups" of their profession.

Elliot led Olivia to the elevator. He could barely keep his hands off of her. As soon as they entered the ascending box Elliot pinned Olivia to the wall, his mouth on her neck. Olivia raised her arms above her head in pleasure.

"Oh God." Olivia breathed as his hand snaked its way up her dress. His other hand cupped her breast as his mouth reached her lips and he captured her fully.

"I couldn't stop thinking about you all day." He moaned as she ran her fingers through his hair. Olivia nodded in agreement and she gasped as Elliot's fingers worked magic under her dress. Their breath was hot and intense. Olivia could feel her body rising into a climax when the elevator pinged. The couple separated as quickly as they could but it was not fast enough. Standing behind the now open doors was a very angry looking Captain Cragen.

"You two. Come with me. Now."

* * *

Cragen had escorted Olivia and Elliot into an empty ballroom. Chairs were stacked all around them. The only lighting they had was the orange haze coming in from the sunset outside. The trio was silent for a few moments before Cragen opened his mouth. He was forced into silence when Elliot cut him off.

"Look Captain, I don't know what you think you saw-"

The rage that filled Cragen's eyes and voice caused Olivia to jump, "You mean I didn't see you latch onto Olivia like a vampire the second you though no one was watching?" The couple's gazes hit the floor instantly, "How irresponsible can you be? In a venue full of your superiors! If anybody else had seen you there would be hell to pay!"

"Captain- its not what you think." Olivia whispered.

Cragen cut her off, "This ends now. If I find out you two are still in a relationship I'll have to separate you as partners- I'm already tempted to-"

"Captain- We're not just screwing around… I'm in love with him." Elliot and Cragen stared at Olivia in surprise. Olivia bit her lip, disbelieving what she just blurted out into the universe.

"I- I have to go…" she whispered as she ran from the room, leaving Elliot and Cragen in stunned silence.

* * *

Olivia felt the heavy pit that sat in her stomach. She felt increasingly anxious as the elevator climbed up to the SVU squad room. She felt dizzy and tired. She was afraid to see Elliot. Her heart slammed against her rib cage as the elevator leveled out and the doors slid open. People entered around her and she wanted to stay with them. They were strangers. They didn't know that she had admitted that she was in love with her partner in front of their boss. They didn't know that she was about to face the music and tell her partner that it was all true. That she was in love with him. Always had been, always would be.

"Olivia-" Olivia's eyes snapped up to see Cragen standing in from of her. He frowned and beckoned for her to follow him. She felt like a robot. No control over her body. If she did have control, she would have run in the opposite direction. But the well-trained officer inside her followed her Commanding Officer into his headquarters.

Cragen greeted Olivia with a grave stare. Olivia watched as her father-figure struggled for words.

"What's going on Don?"

Cragen sighed, "Elliot asked me to give you this." He handed her a thin pale envelope. Olivia furrowed her brow in confusion and opened the letter instantly. Her stomach dropped at the sight of her name written in his messy cursive hand. She read the first six words that began the letter. Tears instantly began to fall and catch on the paper. She read the next five words before reading his name clumsily scrawled at the bottom of the page. Olivia raised her eyes to Cragen and he bowed his head.

"He's gone?" she asked and Cragen nodded.

"He left a letter saying that he had crossed a line and OnePP agreed to let him switch bureaus. I don't know to which one though." Cragen could see the devastation in her eyes and he felt his heart break for her. "Liv, I'm so sorry."

The fiery glare that acknowledged Cragen caused him to flinch, "Don't call me Liv anymore." She hissed before storming out.

* * *

Yes... short... but it's the Holiday's... I've been busy with all the shopping and such...

You know a good Holiday gift? Just a quick little review! Thoughtful, useful and best of all, FREE!

Peace!


	4. Chapter 4

Four Weeks later

"Olivia is drunk."

"What? How drunk? Had a cocktail-at-lunch drunk or teenage-house-party drunk?"

"College frat boy drunk. She's wasted Captain."

"Is it noticeable?"

"It's not obvious if you are blind, deaf and lack a sense of smell. I'm assuming Judge Donnelly has become none of those things."

"Christ, she's due on the stand in half an hour."

"Don't I know it."

"Do you think we can sober her up in that time?"

"Only if her body is capable of consuming eighty-seven loaves of bread, twenty-two vats of coffee and a couple pounds of McDonalds."

"A simple no would suffice John."

"No Captain. Plus, she doesn't think she's that drunk. She tried to convince me she was fine right before losing her balance and walking into the door of the washroom."

"We can't send her in there. She's a liability."

"We need the other case detective."

"Captain, if you know where Elliot is, now is the time to call in a favor."

"Elliot wont be happy. He said he didn't want to come back again. He doesn't want to see Olivia again."

"He doesn't have to see Olivia, though it might do them both some good, but we can easily hide her somewhere."

"Elliot doesn't have to come back to the squad room. We can have him wait out at the courthouse."

"He still wont be happy."

"But the sick bastard who gets off will be extremely pleased to resume his serial rapes and murders."

Cragen sighed, "Alright, I'll call in a favor."

~*~

Fin stared at Munch who sat on the bench outside the courtroom. Elliot was inside, giving his testimony to the packed room. He had come only under the promise that Olivia would not be there. When he asked why Olivia was unable to do her job his former colleagues spun a story of the flu taking over her body.

Fin frowned. He didn't like bullshitting Elliot. It made him feel like a sneak. But he did it to protect Olivia. She would be mortified if Elliot knew the real reason to why she could not testify. Fin turned to Munch and asked, "Do you know what made Elliot leave Manhattan?"

Munch frowned and shrugged, "I assumed that he was asked to because he's been here so long. But I'm thinking differently now."

"Because of how Olivia is responding?"

"Yeah. I mean, I always knew it was going to be tough when those two were split up. But I never thought Olivia would completely lose it. She's always been professional. So this makes me think it's something personal."

"Maybe she's just upset because Elliot didn't tell her, like he didn't tell us."

"Which is something he would never do if he had the choice… Elliot and Olivia are thick as thieves. Elliot may be a selfish bastard sometimes, but he always makes sure to respect his partnership with Liv. He knows he owes it to her. He's always good, unless they're fighting. Then he gets stupid."

"You think something happened between them…"

Munch sighed and nodded, "I don't know what- probably some huge blow-out that he thought they couldn't recover from… My guess is Olivia felt differently."

Suddenly the doors to the court room burst open and the commotion reached John and Fin's ears. People poured from the room and Kim came out, shooting daggers at the partners standing in front of her.

"You told me Olivia had the flu!" She was clearly outraged.

"She does-" Fin started.

Kim held up her hand to cut him off, "Do not even think of lying to me again. The defense just hung Elliot in there! They found out that Olivia is tanked as a sailor and they called him on it!"

Fin and Munch quickly looked to each other before turning and seeing Elliot standing angrily behind Kim. Elliot glared and crossed his arms over his chest.

"She's drunk?"

"Elliot-" Fin began but Elliot shook his head, signifying that he was not going to listen to Fin's rationalizations.

"She was too drunk to testify." Elliot's voice shook with rage.

"Calm down Elliot." Munch started.

"You lied to me! The defense just derailed the trial because he saw you two dealing with her! He got a uniform to take a breathalyzer test! He blind-sided me! Claimed that I had to know my partner was intoxicated and I must have lied under oath."

"Langen ate this up. He's moving to throw out Elliot's testimony." Kim was clearly livid.

"Why didn't you just tell me?" Elliot frowned. When Fin and Munch lowered their eyes to the floor and Elliot's eyes widened in realization. "Because it's my fault she drank too much." He whispered.

"Not so much your fault as it is the reason…" Munch started to explain but he stopped when he realized there was no way for him to make things better.

"Where is she?" Elliot asked.

"What?"

"She's at home, sobering up. She should be hitting the hangover stage now… Why?" Munch asked.

"We're going to finish this now. I'm not going to let what happened between us make the squad lose a great detective."

"Then why'd you leave?" Fin shot in response, earning him a vicious glare from Elliot before he stormed the courthouse.

~*~

Olivia rubbed her bleary eyes and raised her head from the large pillow cushioning it. The banging on her door was clearly coming from someone who was furious. Olivia moaned when she realized the effects of the alcohol was in the unfortunate stage of still being drunk and making her head pound like a hammer. Her stomach turned angrily as she rolled over in bed. The desire to vomit nearly took over her body but she closed her eyes and breathed slowly to suppress the need to throw up her stomach contents onto the floor. She groaned when the banging on the door continued. She had hoped that the loud noise was a figment of her intoxicated imagination.

"Who- who is…" Olivia realized that her throat was too dry to give any volume to her voice. She tried to swallow her spit and make more of a sound but there was not enough moisture in her parched mouth. Olivia finally relented and slowly crawled from her bed and staggered to her front door. She caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and sighed at her disheveled appearance. Her hair was pulled back into an unintentionally loose ponytail and her face had very little makeup on it. Her white t-shirt was thin and exposed the black bra she wore underneath. Her jeans were baggy and only stayed up because of the brown leather belt she wore. Her bare feet revealed red painted toenails and a small silver toe-ring. Olivia caught her foot on the small flower stand beside the door. She tripped and the vase filled with white roses spilled onto the floor and the glass shattered.

"Fuck." She muttered. She would deal with it later. She reached the door and opened it to a furious Elliot. Her eyes widened in surprise and she didn't even bother to argue when Elliot stormed straight into her apartment.

"You were drunk?" Elliot instantly accused, causing Olivia to snap out of her shocked state and frown at her ex-partner.

"What? What the fuck are you doing here Elliot?" She shot back as she closed her door. She backed away from Elliot and stood behind the couch that he stood in front of.

"I was called in to testify on the Holliser case because you were too drunk to do it yourself!" Elliot yelled.

Olivia bit her lip and took a deep breath before answering, "How did you find out?"

"They hung me in court with it. Munch and Fin covered for you. Kim and I were slammed because of it. They accused me of lying under oath!"

Olivia frowned, "Well I'm really sorry that I screwed up Elliot. But you know they'll just polygraph you and know that you're telling the truth. You're not mad about that. So why are you really here?"

It was Elliot's turn to look shocked. He furrowed his brow and glared at Olivia, "You screwed up Liv."

"I know. And don't call me Liv." She hissed, "But that doesn't explain why you're here."

Elliot seemed to take an eternity to think over his response, "You don't screw up."

"Yeah, well, things change." Olivia answered nastily. She crossed her arms over her chest, daring Elliot to respond.

"I was worried… I wanted to make sure you were okay." Elliot dropped his gaze to the floor. His eye caught on the glimmer of the glass from the shattered vase. He then saw the tiny liquid rubies smeared into the carpet. He bent down as if he was examining a crime scene.

Olivia spat back, "You don't get to care if I'm okay anymore. Not since you walked away- I… What the hell are you doing?" Elliot had walked over to Olivia and was looking at her feet.

"You're bleeding."

Olivia looked down and saw that she was indeed bleeding from her foot onto the floor. "Whatever. I'll deal with it."

"There may be glass in it, let me check it out."

Olivia pushed Elliot away from her. "I don't want you anywhere near me. You can leave. I can take care of myself."

"Apparently not."

The outraged look that poured onto Olivia's face caused Elliot to bite his lip with regret. "You son of a bitch. Get the hell out of here."

"Liv, I'm not leaving."

"I told you to stop calling me Liv." She jeered.

"Why? It's your name." he asked.

"It doesn't matter why. Just don't."

"Come on Liv…"

"If you call me Liv one more time I will kick your ass. You know I can."

"Just tell me why it bothers you so much."

Olivia could feel the hot tears filling her whole body. She willed them to stay away but she had little control over what happened next. The salty sadness poured onto her cheeks and her body shook with sobs.

"Because I told you to you asshole!" She tearfully screamed before she moved her body away from him and she rushed into her bedroom. She threw her exhausted body onto her bed and prayed that Elliot wouldn't have the balls to follow her. Sob wracked her body. She covered her face with her hands and rubbed her eyes in the hope that the tears would contain themselves. She re-opened her watery eyes and frowned when Elliot had the daring to enter her room after her, "Elliot, please go away." She desperately begged. Elliot shook his head.

"Olivia… I'm so sorry… about everything…" Elliot bent down and lifted her bloody foot.

"Please don't." She whimpered.

"I didn't want it to turn out this way." He whispered as he examined the wound on her big toe.

"Elliot… you left." She whispered.

Elliot nodded before yanking out the large piece of glass stuck in her foot. He frowned when Olivia flinched. He raised his eyes up to meet Olivia's. "I had to. I'm not ready for any of this."

"You said that it was moving to fast." She whispered. Elliot had risen up onto his knees. He knelt in front of Olivia and held the glass up to her. She reached down and placed her hand onto his, taking the tiny piece of glass and putting it on her bedside table. Elliot placed his empty hands on her thighs and she dropped her gaze to his hands. She gently entwined her fingers with his and brought them up to her face.

"I miss you." She whispered.

Elliot swallowed and nodded, "I miss you too."

"Stay with me." She murmured. Elliot bit his lip but nodded as she pulled him up to her.

His body persuaded hers to lie down on the bed. "Okay." He whispered as he connected his lips with hers. His body blanketed hers and they quickly started a frantic, impassioned connection.

~*~

Olivia smiled when the sunlight filled her room. The memories of the night before caused her to roll over excitedly. She froze when she saw the cold, empty spot next to her. Her heart hammered heavily when she saw the post-it stuck to the pillow. She gently lifted it, praying that it held good news. Tears dropped down onto her comforter when the messy cursive shattered her world again.

_"I'm so sorry."_

~*~


	5. Chapter 5

Happy New Years! I hope this chapter finds you all well. It may be a bit before I can update again but I'll keep on truckin'

* * *

_Four Years Later_

The house was small and beautiful. A trail of brightly coloured flowers lined the pathway that lead to the bright red front door. His eye caught the small tire swing hanging from the large maple tree in the yard beside the house. He spotted movement through the side window. She was home. His heart took residence in his throat and try as he might, he was unable to swallow it. His skin prickled with anticipation as he slowly placed one foot in front of the other. He became acutely aware of his appearance. His temples had hints of gray and his eyes held more pain in them. He balled his hand into a fist in an attempt to relieve his nervous tension. He was unsuccessful in his effort so he decided to just let go and reach his main goal. His hand clung to the brass knocker as it landed crudely on its base. He stepped down a step and waited. It felt like an eternity before the door creaked open. A tiny girl with long chocolate hair and a red ribbon tied around her head poked out from behind the door. Her thick, long black lashes framed wide blue eyes. Her heart shaped lips were pursed in a curious smile. Her skin was porcelain and she wore a blue dress that had little yellow ducks embroidered into it.

"Hello." She greeted in a friendly tone. Her voice almost caused Elliot to melt into the stairs.

"Um, hello. Is this where Olivia Benson lives?"

The small girl smiled and nodded, "I'll go get her." She disappeared behind the door again and Elliot heard the word that made his eyes widen in shock and horror. "Mommy!" Elliot felt shivers run their course through his body. She was a mother. She was married and had a beautiful child and a beautiful home and a beautiful life. It only made sense. Olivia herself was heart-breakingly beautiful. She deserved to have beauty surround her all the time.

The door opened again and the little girl re-appeared, "She's coming."

"Thank you. What's your name?"

"Ruby. What's your name?" she parroted.

"Elliot. How old are you Ruby?" Elliot knew it was none of his business. But he wanted to know how long it took for Olivia to move on.

"I'm three." She boasted and Elliot nodded. He started to figure that Olivia had taken a year to settle down when Ruby shattered his thoughts, "I'm almost four."

"Ruby, go back inside." Her voice split the air and caused Elliot to crash back down to the stone step of Olivia's home.

His eyes landed on the frame of the most beautiful woman he had ever loved. She was frowning at him. He stared straight into her chocolate browns and he saw her fear.

"Liv…"

"Stop right there." She spat. Elliot frowned and pointed at the door that Ruby had disappeared behind.

"No, you don't get to cut me off! She's mine! She's mine and you didn't tell me!"

Olivia frowned, "What makes you think she's yours?"

"We were together four years ago." Elliot explained and Olivia shrugged.

"I don't know who's she is." She stated matter-of-factly.

Elliot withdrew his defensive stance in surprise, "You what?"

"I don't know who her father is." Olivia grabbed the door handle and closed the door so Ruby could not hear the conversation taking place on the front steps.

"What does that even mean? You cheated on me?"

Olivia face displayed a disapproving glower, "I never cheated on you. We didn't have a relationship for me to cheat on you with. You had left the squad, I was drinking a lot, I slept with some guy at a bar. I felt awful. It's why I was so drunk at work. But then you showed up and I felt so guilty. I almost told you what I had done… but then we had sex and you left again. Ruby could have been conceived on either of those nights." The tone in Olivia's voice made Elliot uncomfortable. There was no feeling in her any more. No expression. Not a hint of concern. It was like her emotions had died.

Elliot stared at Olivia, unsure of what to do next. She looked as beautiful as ever. Her hair was in a sleek bob; very different from the long hippie hairstyle she had sported when he left. She wore a white knit sweater and form fitting jeans. She looked like a mom. Though the feeling had left her voice she still maintained the expression in her eyes. They sparkled as if they held some sort of big beautiful secret. Elliot knew that sparkle. It was the sign of a loving mother. She held the secret of her love for her daughter. The indescribable, mountain-moving love that could never be imitated. Elliot's examination of Olivia only stopped when her voice crashed through his thoughts.

"What are you doing here Elliot?"

Elliot sighed and took a step up so he was standing on the same level as Olivia, "Have you heard from Fin yet?" he asked. Olivia furrowed her brow.

"No. Why?"

"Does he know how to get a hold of you?" Elliot asked, curious as to why Fin would not have called Olivia first.

"He was here for breakfast on Saturday. What's going on Elliot?"

"Fin called me last night. Munch died."

Olivia's hand raised to her mouth and tears lined her brown orbs. "Oh my God. What happened? I know he was sick… but not that sick."

"They don't know. There's suspicion surrounding his death."

Olivia's eyebrows rose, "They think someone killed him?"

Elliot shrugged, "I'm not sure but Cragen called Fin and asked him to get in touch with us. The ME called Fin and asked him to come down today. Fin assumes this means that John didn't die from his illness. Why didn't Fin tell you all this?"

"Ruby and I were out last night. My phone died." Olivia answered, "Well, I should go call Fin. Thanks for coming Elliot." Olivia tried to duck behind her front door but Elliot grabbed her wrist.

"Wait-" he begged, "We need to talk."

Olivia glared at the hand holding her back, "Talk about what?"

"Liv, I came here to get closure… I can't keep living my life without knowing how you are… Fin wouldn't give me updates, out of respect for you so I came myself… I figured I would be seeing you because of the funeral… I wanted us to be okay… I care too much about you to have you be this huge mystery for the rest of my life." Elliot pulled Olivia closer throughout his speech. Olivia continued to stare at the ground and he could hear her swallow before answering him.

"Elliot, I'm fine. You can leave now."

"Please Olivia- Ruby… I have to know…"

Olivia's head snapped up and the anger that filled her eyes caused Elliot to release her wrist, "You what? Fuck you El! You think that just because you show up here and see Ruby you have some sort of _right _to her? Ruby and I have been on our own for years and I didn't need a man for them- I don't need one now!"

Elliot nodded in agreement, "I know you don't and you didn't. If anything, I'm sure you're enough of a mother to be both parents. But what about Ruby? You don't think she might want her father eventually?"

Olivia glared, "If eventually rolls around I'll give the father a call. But for now I don't want whoever he is around my daughter. Elliot, please don't come here again." Olivia then entered her home and left Elliot standing alone on the front step, gloom filling his heart.

* * *

Elliot entered the old squad room he had dedicated so many years to. It looked exactly the same in the broad sense. The paint on the walls was still peeling and the ceiling fans still hadn't been cleaned. But Elliot noticed the subtle differences. The photos that sat on each desk were different. The chairs had been replaced with higher-end quality ones. The Wanted Posters had changed to other suspected criminals. The lettering on Cragen's office door had changed to "Captain Olivia Benson". Elliot's brow furrowed. How had he not been told she was promoted to Captain? How did she not know about Munch's death? Elliot then remembered her saying she had been out with Ruby and her phone had died. There was no way to reach her. Elliot was taken out of his thought-filled daze by a familiar voice.

"I thought security would have blocked an old bastard like you."

Elliot turned to see Cragen standing with Fin. Both held sad smiles on their faces as they walked forward and greeted Elliot with typical "man-hugs". Elliot knew the only reason they were talking with him was because of John. Otherwise he barely received the mandatory once-a-month phone call from Fin and the occasional Christmas card from Cragen.

"If the didn't let me in they sure as hell wouldn't let you two assholes in here." Elliot teased back. The trio stood apart and Elliot allowed Cragen the appropriate time to gaze around his old work place.

"I can't believe it's been four years since you two left." Fin mumbled.

Elliot nodded. He knew that Cragen had been promoted to OnePP a few months after he left. The award his squad received was enough for the higher-ups to decide he didn't need to deal with regular people anymore and he was moved into a glorified paper-pusher job. But he got the fancy title and the huge raise that came with it. Fin had stayed at SVU the whole time; promoted to lead detective, training the rookies who he knew would only make it a few years in the squad. Munch had worked for two more years until he got sick and had been forced to retire. He was still brought in as a consultant on major cases. Elliot had never received an update on Olivia. No one was willing to cross that line. His fellow officers had known about his life. He had been promoted to Captain of the Queens SVU. It seemed that when Blaine had left their squad to work in Manhattan, they had trouble filling his old position. Elliot stepped in and people were in shock and awe of his skill at catching a pervert. Elliot was the only one who knew that he was working slower than he used to. He worked with a young partner named David Barnes for a year before he was promoted to Sergeant and then another year before being promoted to Captain. Olivia must have gotten the position the same way.

"So, Liv is in charge of this joint now?" Elliot asked. Cragen and Fin nodded. "How's she doing?" Elliot asked out of curiosity. If he had left anything behind in Olivia, it was his hatred for the bureaucratic idiosyncrasies. The stupid quirks that the higher-ups felt were important to oppress their working-men and women with. Olivia could handle the paper work and the politics. As long as she was still allowed to interrogate.

"She's amazing. She pulls double duty. That of a politician and that of a detective." Fin answered, "And she's still raising Ruby."

Fin had received a phone call from Elliot the night before. It was filled with expletives and frustration on Elliot's end. He wanted to know why Fin never told him about Ruby and why he felt it was more important to protect her instead of him. Fin had answered simply. "She's not the one who left you broken."

Elliot nodded and then sighed, "Was anyone with her when Ruby was born?"

Fin smiled and nodded. "We all were. Olivia was promoted to Sarge before she told anyone she was pregnant. When she finally announced it Cragen had already put in his recommendation for his replacement. He agreed to stay on for a few months while she was on maternity leave and be replaced when she returned."

"And even though she was on maternity leave, Olivia just couldn't stay away." Cragen added.

"She came in to consult on a case and the woman went into labor right here. We got her to the hospital and Ruby was born."

"She swore like a sailor the whole way through. Nearly broke my fingers." Cragen joked.

Elliot stared at his old Captain in shock, "You held her hand?"

"Through the whole thing." Fin boasted. Elliot frowned slightly. He knew that Cragen felt differently about Olivia than he did about the rest of his squad but not that differently. He always acted as the boss when Elliot was around but he knew Cragen softened whenever he was alone with Olivia.

"I can't believe you did that." Elliot stated. It was clear he was jealous.

"Of course I did. She was alone. She needed someone." Cragen shot back defensively.

"She's didn't need to be alone." Elliot muttered. Fin and Cragen shot each other glances and Fin frowned.

"Nah man, you don't get to go there. Olivia was messed up when you left. She made the choice to be on her own."

"Where's my choice? What if Ruby is mine? Don't I get a say?" Elliot snapped.

"No you don't." All three men turned to see Olivia standing behind them. There was fire in her eyes and venom in her voice, "Captain Stabler, come with me please." She turned on her heel and Elliot followed quickly, leaving Cragen and Fin to wonder what could happen. They went straight into her office and closed the door. It had changed quite a bit. It was organized, cleaner, and more personal. A photo of her mother and a photo of Ruby sat on the desk. Awards and framed newspaper articles lined the walls. Elliot then caught sight of something that made a small smile creep onto his lips. A photo of their old squad hung behind her. It must have been at a Christmas party because Olivia had tinsel hanging around her neck and Fin wore a green and red foil hat. Cragen, Munch and Elliot all had wrapped presents in their hands. Their arms were slung around each other in a happily messy way and their grins filled the photo. Elliot then looked over to a scowling Olivia and his smile disappeared.

"This is the worst place and time to have this conversation, Elliot." Olivia snapped.

"This seems to be the only time to have this conversation." Elliot defended.

"Elliot, go home. I'll call you later."

"Sure, because I believe that."

"There's no reason to doubt my word."

"Really? 45 unanswered calls isn't reason enough to doubt you?" Elliot referenced his attempts at calling her the night before, in hopes of a talk, "You shutting me out like this is wrong."

"I'm not discussing this with you here."

"You don't get to dictate this. You're shutting me out. You know what hits me the hardest Liv? You keeping Ruby from me."

"What? I'm not keeping Ruby from you!"

"Oh really? Because I didn't get the memo about her existence..."

"You need to leave right now."

"She needs her father."

"I know she needs her father! But I can't trust her father! He's either a nasty drunk or he abandoned me!"

"Do you think I like this situation?" Elliot spat.

"Oh God." Olivia groaned in frustration.

"After all we had going-"

"El, do you remember why we're here? What tiny event led us to this very pleasant moment we're sharing?"

"That has nothing to do with this!"

"Wha- oh, ugh... _man_! El- What do you want from me?!" Olivia was on the verge of slapping Elliot. Tears burned her eyes.

"I wanna talk!"

"About what?!"

"I don't like how things are."

"But that's how they are."

"I didn't want things to turn out this way."

"But they did turn out this way!"

"But I didn't want that!"

"Elliot- did you leave me?"

"Yes..."

"Did you then sleep with me and then leave me again?"

"Yes…"

"Then we are where we are. Accept it."

"I can't."

"Don't you understand that I can't talk to you? Because it hurts. Talking to you really hurts. Standing here right now is killing me, okay? Don't you understand that?" Tears burned Olivia's skin. She held her hands to her heart and prayed that it would not shatter beacause of Elliot again.

"Elliot- I think you better go now." Olivia and Elliot turned to see their former Captain standing at the entrance of his old office.

"Cragen- please."

"Leave, now." Elliot turned to Olivia who avoided his stare. Elliot stormed out. Olivia turned to Cragen.

"You know you need a mask and a horse when you do that."

* * *

So, Im not even lying when I say that it's my birthday tomorrow... so a really awesome birthday gift might be a tiny little _**review**_? And for you late readers, don't worry! I accept belated gifts.

**ADDED NOTE: Yes! I totally meant to credit Amy Sherman-Pallidino and Dan Pallidino for the Elliot-Olivia fight at the end of this chapter. They're the brilliant and amazing writers for the Gilmore Girls. The argument is in a much different context but some lines have been directly stolen. Sorry I forgot to mention in my posting haste earlier... hopefully Amy and Dan will see this before they fully file their law suit against me. **


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